--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I would have the Constitution torn in…" description: "\"I would have the Constitution torn in shreds and scattered to the four winds of heaven. Let us destroy the Constitution and build on its ruins the temp..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/77b/william-wells-brown-37419_brother_i-would-have-the-constitution-torn-in-sh_2950747.jpg" --- # I would have the Constitution torn in shreds and scattered… ![“I would have the Constitution torn in shreds and scattered to the four winds of heaven. Let us destroy the Constitution and build on its ruins the temple of liberty. I have brothers in slavery. I have seen chains placed on their limbs and beheld them captive.” quote by William Wells Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/77b/william-wells-brown-37419_brother_i-would-have-the-constitution-torn-in-sh_2950747.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/77b/william-wells-brown-37419_brother_i-would-have-the-constitution-torn-in-sh_2950747.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/77b/william-wells-brown-37419_brother_i-would-have-the-constitution-torn-in-sh_2950747.jpg) > “I would have the Constitution torn in shreds and scattered to the four winds of heaven. Let us destroy the Constitution and build on its ruins the temple of liberty. I have brothers in slavery. I have seen chains placed on their limbs and beheld them captive.” [William Wells Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-wells-brown/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The speaker calls for destroying the Constitution to rebuild liberty, citing slavery’s oppression. **In simple terms:** Destroy the Constitution to build liberty. Key Takeaway Question existing structures that perpetuate oppression. Themes politics freedom slavery revolution Mood critical hopeful Type philosophical activist When to use this quote - activism - policy reform Key Concepts social justice historical critique Questions to Reflect On - What alternatives exist to reform? - How can liberty be achieved without destruction? A Different Perspective Radical change can cause instability. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Brother](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/brother/) [Chains](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/chains/) [Constitution](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/constitution/) [Freedom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/freedom/) [Heaven](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/heaven/) [Justice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/justice/) [Liberty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/liberty/) [Ruins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ruins/) [Slavery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/slavery/) [Social justice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/social-justice/) [Temples](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/temples/) [Wind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wind/) ## Related quotes > [“And how long will the American people stand for this treachery perpetrated by their elected president? How long will Americans remain asleep while their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-roth/and-how-long-will-the-american-people-stand-for-this-treachery/) [Philip Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-roth/) > [I am committed against every thing which in my judgment, may weaken, endanger, or destroy (the Constitution) ... and especially against all extension of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-webster/i-am-committed-against-every-thing-which-in-my-judgment-may-weaken/) [Daniel Webster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-webster/) > [Parting is inevitably painful, even for a short time. It's like an amputation, I feel a limb is being torn off, without which I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-morrow-lindbergh/parting-is-inevitably-painful-even-for-a-short-time-it-s-like-an/) [Anne Morrow Lindbergh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-morrow-lindbergh/) > [The first man . . . ventured to call food and nourishment the parts that had a little before bellowed and cried, moved and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/plutarch/the-first-man-ventured-to-call-food-and-nourishment-the-parts-that/) [Plutarch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/plutarch/) > [The fetus, in many cases, dies just as a human adult or child would: It bleeds to death as it is torn from limb…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-kennedy/the-fetus-in-many-cases-dies-just-as-a-human-adult-or-child-would-it/) [Anthony Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-kennedy/) > [Our thoughts are boundless, though our frames are frail, Our souls immortal, though our limbs decay; Though darken'd in this poor life by a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-gates-percival/our-thoughts-are-boundless-though-our-frames-are-frail-our-souls/) [James Gates Percival](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-gates-percival/) > [All Gaza's temples are torn down and burned and the city is cleansed of every belief but the Christian faith. The most stubborn opponents,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ramsay-macmullen/all-gaza-s-temples-are-torn-down-and-burned-and-the-city-is-cleansed/) [Ramsay MacMullen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ramsay-macmullen/) > [A landscape, torn by mists and clouds, in which I can see ruins of old churches, as well as of Greek temples - that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edvard-grieg/a-landscape-torn-by-mists-and-clouds-in-which-i-can-see-ruins-of-old/) [Edvard Grieg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edvard-grieg/) > [The duty I owe to the slave, to truth, and to God, demands that I should use my pen and tongue so long as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-wells-brown/the-duty-i-owe-to-the-slave-to-truth-and-to-god-demands-that-i-should/) [William Wells Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-wells-brown/) > [All my life I have gone out on a limb, but I have turned the limb into a bridge, and there is cool, clear…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/holly-near/all-my-life-i-have-gone-out-on-a-limb-but-i-have-turned-the-limb-into/) [Holly Near](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/holly-near/) > [Time hath not yet so dried this blood of mine, Nor age so eat up my invention, Nor fortune made such havoc of my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/time-hath-not-yet-so-dried-this-blood-of-mine-nor-age-so-eat-up-my/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [Pain held no terror for him. Pain was, if not friend, then family, something he had grown up with in his crèche, learning to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paolo-bacigalupi/pain-held-no-terror-for-him-pain-was-if-not-friend-then-family/) [Paolo Bacigalupi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paolo-bacigalupi/) > [A 'modern' man has nothing to add to modernism, if only because he has nothing to oppose it with. The well-adapted drop off the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elias-canetti/a-modern-man-has-nothing-to-add-to-modernism-if-only-because-he-has/) [Elias Canetti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elias-canetti/) > [There are believers who by God's grace, have climbed the mountains of full assurance and near communion, their place is with the eagle in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-spurgeon/there-are-believers-who-by-god-s-grace-have-climbed-the-mountains-of/) [Charles Spurgeon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-spurgeon/) > [May nothing entice me till I happily make my way to Jesus Christ! Fire, cross, struggles with wild beasts, wrenching of bones, mangling of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ignatius-of-antioch/may-nothing-entice-me-till-i-happily-make-my-way-to-jesus-christ-fire/) [Ignatius of Antioch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ignatius-of-antioch/) ## More by William Wells Brown > [This is called 'the land of the free and the home of the brave'; it is called the 'asylum of the oppressed,' and some…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-wells-brown/this-is-called-the-land-of-the-free-and-the-home-of-the-brave-it-is/) [William Wells Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-wells-brown/) > [People don't follow titles, they follow courage.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-wells-brown/people-don-t-follow-titles-they-follow-courage/) [William Wells Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-wells-brown/) > [The last struggle for our rights, the battle for our civilization, is entirely with ourselves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-wells-brown/the-last-struggle-for-our-rights-the-battle-for-our-civilization-is/) [William Wells Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-wells-brown/) > [When this boy was brought to Dr. Young, his name being William, the same as mine, my mother was ordered to change mine to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-wells-brown/when-this-boy-was-brought-to-dr-young-his-name-being-william-the-same/) [William Wells Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-wells-brown/) > [Someone must show that the Afro-American race is more sinned against than sinning, and it seems to have fallen to me to do so.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-wells-brown/someone-must-show-that-the-afro-american-race-is-more-sinned-against/) [William Wells Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-wells-brown/) > [The duty I owe to the slave, to truth, and to God, demands that I should use my pen and tongue so long as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-wells-brown/the-duty-i-owe-to-the-slave-to-truth-and-to-god-demands-that-i-should/) [William Wells Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-wells-brown/) > [Though slavery is thought, by some, to be mild in Missouri, when compared with the cotton, sugar and rice growing states, yet no part…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-wells-brown/though-slavery-is-thought-by-some-to-be-mild-in-missouri-when/) [William Wells Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-wells-brown/) > [The last great struggle for our rights; the battle for our own civilization, is entirely with ourselves, and the problem is to be solved…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-wells-brown/the-last-great-struggle-for-our-rights-the-battle-for-our-own/) [William Wells Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-wells-brown/) > [All I demand for the black man is, that the white people shall take their heels off his neck, and let him have a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-wells-brown/all-i-demand-for-the-black-man-is-that-the-white-people-shall-take/) [William Wells Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-wells-brown/) > [Despotism increases in severity with the number of despots; the responsibility is more divided, and the claims are more numerous.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-wells-brown/despotism-increases-in-severity-with-the-number-of-despots-the/) [William Wells Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-wells-brown/) > [I was not only hunting for my liberty, but also hunting for my name.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-wells-brown/i-was-not-only-hunting-for-my-liberty-but-also-hunting-for-my-name/) [William Wells Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-wells-brown/) [Explore all 12 William Wells Brown quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-wells-brown/) ## More Brother quotes > [I was 3-years-old - to this day it is a vivid memory. My family and I were on a boat, catching fish. As one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joaquin-phoenix/i-was-3-years-old-to-this-day-it-is-a-vivid-memory-my-family-and-i/) [Joaquin Phoenix](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joaquin-phoenix/) > [Whatever meaning 'Annie's Song' had for me on a personal level, there was also a larger context. It could just as easily have been…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-denver/whatever-meaning-annie-s-song-had-for-me-on-a-personal-level-there/) [John Denver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-denver/) > [Luckily, the bullet that hit my chest never got to me. It was stopped by a silver case I got for my brother's wedding.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-doohan/luckily-the-bullet-that-hit-my-chest-never-got-to-me-it-was-stopped/) [James Doohan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-doohan/) > [“Yeah. You treat him like a son or a soldier, instead of like a brother. He wants you to like him and admire him…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/faith-hunter/yeah-you-treat-him-like-a-son-or-a-soldier-instead-of-like-a-brother/) [Faith Hunter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/faith-hunter/) > [“Your relationship with your brother will be, in many ways, the most complex and bewildering of all the interpersonal connections you will form. An…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-currie-jr/your-relationship-with-your-brother-will-be-in-many-ways-the-most/) [Ron Currie Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-currie-jr/) > [If I had my brothers I think with just a little bit of the correct marketing, I'd like to be almost exclusively in small…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-bozzio/if-i-had-my-brothers-i-think-with-just-a-little-bit-of-the-correct/) [Terry Bozzio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-bozzio/) > [There's no publicist, no advertisements, and no one's pushing us. If people are buying our records, it's because big brothers and sisters or friends…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/spencer-moody/there-s-no-publicist-no-advertisements-and-no-one-s-pushing-us-if/) Spencer Moody > [The only way to make sure that the Hand didn't get to you would have been to kill your brother. I could've done it,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ilona-andrews/the-only-way-to-make-sure-that-the-hand-didn-t-get-to-you-would-have/) [Ilona Andrews](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ilona-andrews/) > [“Your favorite son and brother, Shade. Like”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victoria-aveyard/your-favorite-son-and-brother-shade-like/) [Victoria Aveyard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victoria-aveyard/) > [Sister + brother = a lovely family](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/sister-brother-a-lovely-family/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [There ain't no such thing as black Muslims. That's how they tried to cut off all my brothers in the rest of the world…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/muhammad-ali/there-ain-t-no-such-thing-as-black-muslims-that-s-how-they-tried-to/) [Muhammad Ali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/muhammad-ali/) > [Brothers and Sisters, I bid you beware Of giving your heart to a dog to tear.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rudyard-kipling/brothers-and-sisters-i-bid-you-beware-of-giving-your-heart-to-a-dog/) [Rudyard Kipling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rudyard-kipling/) > [Like a child exploring the attic of an old house on a rainy day, discovering a trunk full of treasure and then calling all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eugene-h-peterson/like-a-child-exploring-the-attic-of-an-old-house-on-a-rainy-day/) [Eugene H. Peterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eugene-h-peterson/) > [Stephanie could see the greed seep into the watery eyes of her father’s other brother, a horrible little man called Fergus, as he nodded…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/derek-landy/stephanie-could-see-the-greed-seep-into-the-watery-eyes-of-her-father/) [Derek Landy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/derek-landy/) > [I worked in a barbershop. I used to make the waves in the brother's hair, you know? Like, Nat King Cole, Sugar Ray Robinson.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-clinton/i-worked-in-a-barbershop-i-used-to-make-the-waves-in-the-brother-s/) [George Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-clinton/) [Browse all 7,453 Brother quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/brother/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I would have the Constitution torn in shreds and scattered to the four winds of heaven. Let us destroy the Constitution and build on its ruins the temple of liberty. I have brothers in slavery. I have seen chains placed on their limbs and beheld them captive.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "William Wells Brown" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-wells-brown/i-would-have-the-constitution-torn-in-shreds-and-scattered-to-the/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Brother" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-wells-brown/i-would-have-the-constitution-torn-in-shreds-and-scattered-to-the/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/77b/william-wells-brown-37419_brother_i-would-have-the-constitution-torn-in-sh_2950747.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/77b/william-wells-brown-37419_brother_i-would-have-the-constitution-torn-in-sh_2950747.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/77b/william-wells-brown-37419_brother_i-would-have-the-constitution-torn-in-sh_2950747.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I would have the Constitution torn in shreds and scattered to the four winds of heaven. Let us destroy the…” — William Wells Brown", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "William Wells Brown", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-wells-brown/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I would have the Constitution torn...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-wells-brown/i-would-have-the-constitution-torn-in-shreds-and-scattered-to-the/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-wells-brown/i-would-have-the-constitution-torn-in-shreds-and-scattered-to-the/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```